Dealer who wanted to link ‘Kinahans' with Russia found guilty of warehouse arson attack

Sunday World

4 days ago

Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group
The three arsonists who carried out the attack, Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah, and Jakeem Rose
The arsonists recorded the attack on their phones
A 20-year-old drug dealer who had grand ambitions to 'build a link' between the IRA, the Kinahan Cartel and Russia, has been found guilty for his role in the burning down of a warehouse in London.
Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack along with Gatwick airport cleaner Jake Reeves (23) on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group.
Three men who acted as 'proxies' for Vladimir Putin's regime Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah and Jakeem Rose were tracked down after they set two units on fire in east London on March 20 last year.
Apparently motivated by the lure of cash, Mensah (23) livestreamed on his phone as he and Rose (also 23) set fire to the industrial unit.
Jake Reeves
Meanwhile, a trial at the Old Bailey was told how fixer Asmena (20) waited in a car nearby as the warehouse in Leyton was targeted as it was being used to supply humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.
Earl and Reeves who had previously admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the terror group have become the first defendants to be convicted of acting as proxies for Wagner under the National Security Act 2023.
Earl who has also admitted possessing cocaine and thousands of pounds in criminal cash had been plotting to kidnap the establishment's owner, the wealthy Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin.
Mensah, Rose and Asmena have been found guilty of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life following an Old Bailey trial.
Driver Paul English (61) was cleared of wrongdoing while Ashton Evans (20) was found guilty of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts relating to the Mayfair plot.
However, he was cleared of failing to tell authorities about the warehouse arson while Dmirjus Paulauskas (23) was also cleared of two similar offences relating to both terrorist plots.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said the case clearly demonstrated how an organisation linked to the Russian state was using 'proxies', 'in this case British men, to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf'.
'The ringleaders, Earl and Reeves, willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state,' he said.
'I am pleased that, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to use the new National Security Act legislation, which meant the severity of Earl and Reeves's offending was reflected in the charges they faced.'
The arsonists recorded the attack on their phones
Sixty firefighters from eight crews had to get the blaze under control, which had put members of the public 'at great risk' according to Murphy, and it was only by good fortune 'nobody was seriously injured or worse'.
The commander added that those involved, 'seemingly motivated by the promise of money, were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia'.
He said: 'I hope these convictions send a strong warning of the very serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.'
Both businesses in the damaged units were Ukrainian-owned.
The Met's Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation when it emerged that another warehouse linked to one of the companies had been subject to an arson attack in Madrid.
The court was told how investigators gathered 'overwhelming' evidence linking the arsonists to the Leyton attack.
The three arsonists who carried out the attack, Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah, and Jakeem Rose
As Mr English drove the trio in his Kia Picanto through south London, which was covered by CCTV, they were tracked by phone data and traffic cameras.
Rose and Mensah were also seen on footage getting out of the vehicle, and climbing over a wall as they approached the warehouses.
Rose dropped a very large knife with his DNA on it, as they fled the scene, while Mensah later messaged Reeves to say he 'left his Rambo at the scene'.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC said that while the arsonists were motivated by the promise of money, Earl and Reeves had been working on behalf of Russia.
Earl had told a Wagner operative he met on Telegram he was keen to carry out a series of 'missions' and admitted preparing to set fire to the Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, west London.
He also admitted to the kidnap plot of owner Mr Chichvarkin, described as a 'high-profile Russian dissident and refugee' who has been vocal in his criticism of Putin and the war in Ukraine.
Reeves, from Croydon, south London, who was also prepared to accept money from a foreign intelligence service to target the Russian dissident had sent an unknown contact Mr Chichvarkin's name and said he would make an 'amazing target'.
Earl's Wagner contact, named Privet Bot, instructed him to watch the period drama The Americans and use it as a 'manual' for his covert mission.
Set during the Cold War, the television series is about two KGB agents posing as Americans in Washington DC to spy on the American government.
Drug dealer Earl also appeared to brag in further chats with Privet Bot that he had criminal connections and could 'sort' an introduction to the IRA and Kinahan Irish organised crime group.
He was arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and videos of the warehouse fire being started were found on his iPhone.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the convicted defendants would be sentenced on a date to be fixed in the autumn.